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A Guide To Kimono
A History of Kimono When people think of Nagosan province, they often envision a sea of kimono in vivid colors. Overlooked is the rich history and tradition behind the beautiful clothing. From its humble origins, kimono-- which is a word that simply means clothing-- have evolved into a symbol of an entire culture, evoking vivid images. Men's Kimono Men usually wear a more conservatively styled kimono, called a kosode. The kosode has shorter sleeves than the women's kimono and many men prefer more somber colors and patterns than women. A man also ties his obi in a much simpler knot when compared to a woman's wider obi with more elaborate knots. A hakama, which resembles a pleated skirt, is sometimes worn over the kosode, along with a haori in colder weather. A yukata, which is a light summer kimono usually made of cotton, is sometimes worn instead of a kosode. Women's Kimono Modern women's kimono are the most varied in style, colors and design. Style, color, and sleeve length are varied by such things as age, marital status, season, and social status. A young girl would wear a furisode, which is brightly colored and vibrant. The sleeves are very long, sometimes reaching to the hem of the kimono. A furisode is suitable for formal and ceremonial occasions. The shiromaku is a wedding kimono, and is typically pure white. It is sometimes covered with an outer kimono of brightly colored red or orange, called an uchikake. By contrast the iro-tomesode is a married woman's kimono. The iro-tomesode is usually more somber than a young unmarried girl's furisode. The sleeves are also shorter. The tomesode is a black kimono married women wear on formal occaisions. In the summer, many women, as well as men, wear yukata. Most yukata are blue and white, but young girls and women will sometimes wear more brightly colored ones. Yukata are also commonly worn when visiting the bathhouses as a kind of lightweight robe. Obi A man wears a simple obi. It is thinner than a woman's and tied in front, in a simple knot at the waist. A woman's obi is much wider and more elaborately tied than a man's. It can be a foot wide and as long as thirteen feet. More elaborate knots for formal occasions may take up to half an hour or more to tie. Married women usually wear a simpler knot, and the obi is worn slightly lower than an unmarried girl's. Children usually wear a soft, scarf-like obi. These are generally tied simply, like a man's obi. Footwear Tabi are a kind of sock worn indoors and with both zori and geta. They are ankle-high, and have a seperation between the big toe and the other toes. They are worn by both men and women, and come in a variety of colors. Zori are woven-soled shoes that are suitable for wear anywhere. Geta are raised wooden shoes worn to keep kimono from getting soiled in inclement weather. They make a very unique sound when walking. Modern Kimono Kimono today are made of rectangular pieces of cloth, and in themselves have no shape at all. Kimono consist of four pieces-- two for the sleeves and two for the main panels-- making construction very simple. No cloth is wasted in making kimono, and, if damaged, they can be taken apart and reassembled as a haori or child's kimono. Kimono can be made of silk, hemp, or cotton. Different designs are woven or dyed on the cloth. Wearing Kimono When dressing, one puts on the tabi first. This is because it is difficult to bend when fully dressed. One then dons the under-kimono-- either the juban or naga-juban. (The juban has shorter sleeves than the naga-juban.) After this, one should put on the kimono, making sure the seam is straight in the back. Fold the right side across the body, and the left side over the right. Only a corpse would wear the kimono with right side folded over the left! The collar is arranged to show the nape of the neck in back, with the collar of the juban arranged to show evenly. Placing the collar flat against the back of the neck is wrong, and can ruin the lay of the kimono. When wrapping the obi, the kimono is adjusted and folded over so that the hem is at the correct length. One should take care to straighten out the excess material so that it lies flat over the first obi, and does not ruin the the line of the kimono. One then finishes wrapping the obi and secures it with a knot. The obi-jime is a braided cord that is tied over the obi and used to hold it in place. It can be knotted in several ways, and is both decorative and functional. Historical Customs of Interest At one time, even the color of a kimono had special meaning. Colors could denote rank and were even used to insipire feelings and moods. Reds were considered sensual (as seen in the color of the wedding kimono), and purple was the color of love. Colors also had seasonal connotations-- for instance, white and green for early spring; lavender and green for late spring; yellow with maroon for summer; purple or red with white for fall. Many of the colors were drawn from seasonal flowers, and colors in nature. Though at one time everyone knew the meanings associated with certain colors many have been lost to antiquity. *The younger the girl, the higher the pattern from the hem. *The furisode was said to make the girl appear as a gift, with swinging sleeves said to attract attention and entice the man to 'unwrap' the gift. *Kimono are always folded left-over-right, except on a corpse, where they are folded right-over-left.